Founded in the 1930s, the UAW has played a significant role in advocating for better wages, benefits, and working conditions for its members. The union continues to be active in various labor movements and negotiations to support workers’ rights.

1941 – Ford Motor Co. became the last major automaker to recognize the United Auto Workers as the representative for its workers.

Henry Ford, the company’s founder, was vehemently antiunion, and his position appeared firmly entrenched. Newly enacted federal labor legislation, the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act) of 1935, ran counter to Ford’s modus operandi. Between 1937 and 1941 almost every plant Ford operated had been brought up on charges before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the body charged with enforcing the 1935 law. The situation came to a head in 1941 after years of litigation and clear signs the company could be in financial peril if it did not submit to collective bargaining. The NLRB called an election for 21 May 1941 at all the Ford plants in Dearborn, Michigan, in which the UAW-CIO (Congress of Industrial Organizations) had won the right to represent workers. This election paved the way for successful labor negotiations between the parties and an excellent contract for Ford union members.

Miner demographic s research summary. Zippia estimates miner demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our miner estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy.

Zippia’s data science team found the following key facts about miners after extensive research and analysis:

• There are over 14,311 miners currently employed in the United States.
• 9.4% of all miners are women, while 90.6% are men.
• The average miner age is 40 years old.
• The most common ethnicity of miners is White (76.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.6%), Unknown (4.1%) and Black or African American (4.1%).
• In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
• 4% of all miners are LGBT.
• Miners are 71% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.

Source: zippia.com

On April 10, 1975, 41-year-old Lee Elder becomes the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, considered the most prestigious event in the sport. Elder shoots 37 on the front and back nine for a 74 at the Augusta (Georgia) National Golf Club and trails leader Bobby Nichols by seven strokes. “I didn’t have any nervousness whatsoever,” Elder says after the round.

In Round 2, Elder shot a 78 and missed the cut in the tournament, won by Jack Nicklaus. Elder had qualified for the Masters by winning the 1974 Monsanto Open.

Many considered Elder’s historic achievement long overdue for the Masters and Augusta National and for a sport that had never been known for racial tolerance. The Professional Golfers Association, the organizer of the main professional tours played by men in North America, didn’t approve participation of African Americans in events it co-sponsored until 1952.

Augusta National didn’t have a Black member until 1990 (businessman Ron Townsend) or female member until 2012 (former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice).

For the complete article, got to history.com

Citation Information

Article TitleLee Elder becomes first Black golfer to play in MastersAuthorHistory.com EditorsWebsite NameHISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-elder-masters-black-sports-trailblazers

DateApril 9, 2023PublisherA&E Television NetworksLast UpdatedDecember 14, 2021Original Published DateDecember 14, 2021

On April 9, 1947, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) sends 16 Black and white activists on a bus ride through the American South to test a recent Supreme Court decision striking down segregation on interstate bus travel. The so-called Journey of Reconciliation, which lasted two weeks, was an important precursor to the Freedom Rides of the 1960s.

In Morgan v. Virginia (1946), the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to enforce segregated seating on interstate busses. Shortly after, activist and WWII veteran Wilson A. Head put the ruling to a test and rode a Greyhound bus from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. relatively unscathed. After the success of his trip, CORE treasurer Bayard Rustin saw an opportunity to hold a larger, more confrontational demonstration to raise awareness of the ruling and challenge Jim Crow laws.

For the complete article, go to:

history.com

Citation Information

Article TitleThe Journey of Reconciliation—considered the first Freedom Ride—sets out from D.C.AuthorHistory.com EditorsWebsite NameHISTORYURLhttps://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/journey-of-reconciliation-freedom-ridesDateApril 9, 2023PublisherA&E Television NetworksLast UpdatedAugust 24, 2021Original Published DateAugust 24, 2021

Photo Credit: NASA

On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduces America’s first astronauts to the press: Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Walter Schirra Jr., Alan Shepard Jr. and Donald Slayton. The seven men, all military test pilots, were carefully selected from a group of 32 candidates to take part in Project Mercury, America’s first manned space program. NASA planned to begin manned orbital flights in 1961.

On October 4, 1957, the USSR scored the first victory of the “space race” when it successfully launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into Earth’s orbit. In response, the United States consolidated its various military and civilian space efforts into NASA, which dedicated itself to beating the Soviets to manned space flight. In January 1959, NASA began the astronaut selection procedure, screening the records of 508 military test pilots and choosing 110 candidates. This number was arbitrarily divided into three groups, and the first two groups reported to Washington. Because of the high rate of volunteering, the third group was eliminated. Of the 62 pilots who volunteered, six were found to have grown too tall since their last medical examination. An initial battery of written tests, interviews, and medical history reviews further reduced the number of candidates to 36. After learning of the extreme physical and mental tests planned for them, four of these men dropped out.

For the complete article, go to history.com